Dreaming of Jashin
by Of Chaos and Destruction
Summary: This is an AU based in the Land of Hot Springs arc of Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen. Originally posted Feb 2017 in the Recursive Fanfiction forum in the We're all just Dreaming of Sunshine! community. Has been spruced up slightly, but I would recommend re-reading the arc for full impact and understanding.
1. Part 1

Dreaming of Jashin Part 1

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Hello everyone, Chaos here. This is an AU based in the Land of Hot Springs arc of Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen. Originally posted Feb 2017 in the Recursive Fanfiction forum in the We're all just Dreaming of Sunshine! community. Has been spruced up slightly, but I would recommend re-reading the arc for full impact and understanding. All original notes can be found at the end of every chapter.

* * *

"You have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have." J. R. R. Tolkien

* * *

 ** _you_**

Seethed a voice from far away. _It_ skittered across souls, leaving agony in its wake. Agony it used to communicate its _will._ Its _contempt_.

 _beloved of the little god_

Disparate and scattered across the elemental nations, twenty-two different shinobi faltered in their steps.

 _you will see_

Inexorable as gravity, _it_ pulled the bright sparks of their conscious minds closer to where it had broached the boundaries between worlds. Its powers in this world were waning, because of that cursed child-goddess, but it would use the suffering of her followers to reclaim its powers. The mighty Jashin would not be so thwarted by such a little thing.

 _see how she suffered_

It was dusk in Konoha, and no one noticed as Yoshino and Shikamaru collapsed in their home, having just put Kino down for the night.

No one commented when the Jōnin Commander slumped at his desk.

Tenten was already partway unconscious from training with her team, and it was not particularly unexpected when her eyes slid closed all the way.

Anko and Yakumo were training in one of the quieter Kurama training fields, and no one saw them fall.

In the medics' lounge, Sakura fell face first into her textbook. Thoughtfully, one of her fellow students closed the lid on her bento and resolved to take over the rest of her shift if the pinkette didn't wake up in time.

Shizune stepped into the Hokage's office and sighed, a sudden twitch overtaking her control of her left eyebrow. "Really, Tsunade-sama…" she muttered, looking at the Hokage unconscious at her desk with a sake bottle and saucer by her outstretched hands and drawing, for once, the wrong conclusion. With practiced ease, the assistant removed the alcoholic beverage from Tsunade's vicinity and set off to destroy it.

In the War Operations room Kakashi's snores disappeared as his mind was pulled away from his body, and it fell into true sleep.

In Asuma's favourite training ground, Teams 10 and 8 lay sprawled across the grass after a long day of training. Asuma, understandably detracted by other things, finally noticed that the kids seemed to have stopped yelling half-hearted advice at one another. The Jonin looked, saw that they had fallen asleep around the shoji board and huffed a laugh. He'd thought that the challenge of playing a strategy game without Shikamaru there to make the game unwinnable for team 8 would have been engaging enough to _at least_ keep them awake! _Even Shikamaru_ had never fallen asleep whilst playing the game. He was about to wake them up with a nice _friendly_ wind jutsu when Kurenai laughed softly, and he turned to see her smiling fondly at the assorted passed-out children. Then she turned her warm garnet-coloured eyes to meet his, a new smile on her face _just_ _for him_ – and decided they could sleep a little while.

Exhausted from the ANBU mission he just returned from, Sasuke's body bled off the tension constantly exuded by all back-ops operatives as his mind slipped away.

Sai had experienced reprogramming before, and doubtless would experience it again. The relief he felt as consciousness fled would not last.

 _to protect you_

Temari and Gaara were alone in his office when he suddenly collapsed. She darted forwards to catch him before he hit the ground entirely on instinct, which was a good thing because his sand wasn't responding.

His. Sand. Wasn't. Responding.

Neither were his eyes, when she pulled back the lids. Temari had only been this afraid once before in her life – on her knees before the ones she now calls friends during the failed invasion. She couldn't wake him, but at least Shukaku seemed to be affected by the same phenomenon – seeing as he was not tearing their village apart screaming for blood. Their position was still too weak for Gaara to be seen in such a state, so Temari summoned a weasel to fetch Kankuro and canceled the remainder of Gaara's appointments.

Kankuro was on the floor of his workshop when the summons found him, the weasel explained to the suddenly quite grey kunoichi as he hefted the dead weight on to the remaining chair of the office – the sofa was already taken by Gaara. For a second, Temari could do nothing but stand still and make sure that she continued to breathe. Then she put her face in her hands and croaked out a demand for the summons to bring her Elder Chiyo.

 _see her die for her insolence_

Mei sat in her office, gleefully going over the minutia of grain trade and dispersal between Mist and Leaf. She'd been dragging it out for almost fifteen minutes now, in part because Haku had a skill with economics that put hers to shame – mostly though it's because she enjoyed the sight of Zabuza in all his muscular glory waiting with ill-grace for his apprentice to stop 'playing with numbers' and start their special nighttime assassination training session. She's glad for the delay in their departure any case, since they both suddenly collapsed without warning. When Ao spoke up from his position guarding the room, all he said was "Something has happened." and Mei was about to (mostly) verbally rip into him. Then she saw his face. She had known him through war, the darkest days of Yagura's madness, and the civil war that followed: _never once_ has she seen such horror on his face.

 _your suffering will bring me strength_

In the wilderness, a few days east from Hidden Haze Village, there is no one to see a Sage and a Jinchuriki flop to the ground insensate.

 _this world will be mine_

* * *

NOTES:

 **Original Notes Before the story:**

Hi, this isn't really linked to anything that's happening in the forum right now, so sorry about the disruption :)

I really like the idea of Reading!DOS – and most especially the Reading!DOS!Backwards , so Kudos to the people who are involved with that, I hope that you continue. I'm writing this piece because I need to express my (many) feelings about the latest chapter, and also because I have a terrible suspicion that Silver Queen had been pouring out so many chapters on an inspiration binge which culminated into the Chapter 129 as the crescendo, and will now leave us in a horrible limbo as we wait months for the next update (I sincerely hope that I am wrong of course – I have a terrible habit of catastrophising… and projecting my own behaviour onto others).

In this verse, there are no soulmarks or anything (hence my turning up in an unfamiliar forum – Hi everyone *waves hand like a socially awkward idiot*), but I was inspired by Dona and her idea _way back when_ , that Nara form- I guess you could call them spirit bonds with their students. This is so they can reach out and pull them from the black when they are still learning the family jutsu, and vulnerable to its drawbacks. Shikako had grabby sprit hands, however, so she grabbed hold of a bunch of people she really cares about, works with, and respects as fellow shinobi, such as: her parents, her team, her brothers team (sans Asuma – sorry, she just doesn't know you that well), Jiraiya, Tsunade, Sai, Sakura, Tenten, Aoba (sobs piteously – this one is sadly broken before Jashin starts his Torture!Party, so doesn't really play role in this fic other than Chapter 129's sacrificial lamb), Team Kurenai (minus Kurenai, I debated just having Hinata and Kiba, but I didn't want to exclude Shino I want him to see that being included isn't always fun), Yakumo Kurama and Anko (I nearly said the kunoichi club – but I really just can't do that to the kiddies.) Haku, Zabuza, and Gaara and Kankuro (sorry Temari, I just couldn't find enough interaction to justify it :( ). I believe this is why she is mostly stable despite repeatedly tearing herself into pieces and burying the bits that are too damaging – a good solid network of other souls who unknowingly support her. (And also the Tailed Beasts come along for the ride, because they are sealed into their hosts (and we now know that seals can't be dismissed by the 'god') and I really can't think of a way to leave Shukaku and Kurama behind in their Jinchuriki's bodies without things ending in tears.)

So here I have done a kind of a equivalent of Reading!DOS!Backwards, except rather than reading, they have been pulled along the spirit threads so that I Jashin can torture everyone with the horror Shikako experienced from the moment he first touched her with his power (he's a very sore loser).

 **Original Notes After the story:**

Things will really pick up in the next ficlet, but I think this really sets the scene.

Also, as a thanks for reading, have a bonus alternate way for how Ino was taken by Jashin

Taking stock in one of the Yamanaka greenhouses, Ino slid quietly to the ground. She had fought, unlike the others, who had no frame of reference for this kind of combat. Unfortunately, in the end there was little she could do against the power of this god but scream and _scream_ and scream. It felt too much like then.)

***Edit***

Changed the time of day to reflect the time in the story - because I am an idiot :(

Okay, not much change here, but at least it's more easily accessible now...


	2. Part 2

Dreaming of Jashin Part 2

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As before, this is part of an existing DOS narrative, with some of the content coming directly from SQ's DOS - so credit where credit's due. Previous forum notes are at the bottom.

* * *

"Throw your body at the mark when your arrows are spent." Ralph Waldo Emerson

* * *

Already reeling from their sudden displacement, the assorted shinobi, kunoichi, medics, and nin-dog reeled at the sensations that were projected into them.

They watched, some bent over and gagging – despite the unnerving feeling that they didn't necessarily have any bodies to _gag with_ at present.

 _see the weakness of your protector, cowed beneath my power_

It was the voice again, the one that spoke through pain and brought them here – wherever this blurred, confusing 'here' was.

And they _see_. Just like _it_ wanted.

Shikako, brought to her knees from the… no one knew how to describe what _they_ were feeling, never mind the sensations they were feeling second hand though her.

Saw the way she wavered and trembled, but more than that, was an awareness of – her thoughts?

Shikaku put his prodigious mind to work, his mind churning frantically and producing half-formed deductions and observations – looked away at the assembled, and partially see-through, nin of many nations (all linked to his daughter), and found that he still observed the fallen children through his daughters' perception.

"Oh," she breathed, bringing herself up to hands and knees.

Her mind struggled under the enormity of the _thing_ , of whatever it was that brought them here and inflicted suffering and weakness upon them all.

'Sisyphean calculation' she called her efforts.

'What,' wondered Shikamaru 'is Sisyphean? A of mathematics?' the clearly foreign word clogged his already muddled thoughts for a moment as he stumbled towards his twin; but then he was stopped, _blinded_ by the visceral rage his sister felt.

"You _fuckers._ " She snarled.

Through her friends' perception, Sakura tried to diagnose her aliment, and caught the tendrils of the Special Jōnin's observations. Nothing wrong with her chakra, but experiencing extreme fatigue and physical strain without visible cause.

 _Nothing_ , Sakura couldn't even _begin to think_ of what was wrong – and when helpless despair flowed through her something laughed like a lightning bolt burning through her nervous system (which she probably wasn't using right now, but she didn't really want to think about it right now).

 _yes, give me all your pain_

Hinata, curled up and pained and confused as she was, felt relief to see that the children were still alive. She didn't understand what was happening, and it terrified her that her eyes were useless – that they failed to activate and see through this illusion (she _really hoped_ this was an illusion). But still, she felt relief. Shikako was alive, and so were those children. Focus on the positives, and not throwing up.

Tsunade snarled at Jiraiya to report, noticing him for the first time and coming to the conclusion that he was the most likely to understand _what the hell is going on_ – or at least he _damn well should_ , what with all the spying he does, and the esoteric arts he studies.

Incidentally, as the only person who knew where Shikako was and what she was doing, Tsunade actually had a better idea of what was going on than everyone else present. _This was not a comfort to her._

Jiraiya for his part, pre-emptively flinched for a blow from his more expressive teammate and raised his hands in abject confusion. Then he watched as Shikako tried to identify whatever it was that was happening to her, because it seemed like the malevolent, pain-inflicting voice in his head (but it looks like it's everyone else's as well, so at least he's not insane) and what was happening to his female student were intrinsically linked in some way.

Her conclusions were unsettling to say the least – but he can't really argue. There are, in fact, a number of energies that are not chakra, or physical or spiritual energy, but she had no reason to know about them. Not that that seemed to stop her at all, watching a Nara brain work something out from the inside really was incredible – the sheer processing power at her disposal! No wonder she had grasped sealing so naturally.

Something that can drain away pure unadulterated Life Energy... he can't help a shiver at the thought of such a weapon. Of such a being.

 _i will take your fear as my strength_

Gaara was largely unfamiliar with physical pain, which was just well, considering that he didn't have any physical properties now. He was, however, quite well versed in the many ways a being of hatred and pain can inflict suffering on a person though _more direct means_. In this way, he had an advantage over many of his agemates, most of whom were folded over on themselves in their distress. The Kazekage's lips pulled down in displeasure as found he could not animate his sand to help, and was only able to watch as his friend struggled to get to her feet.

 _i feed on your weakness, heathens_

Her team and family, however, managed to push past their reactions to the gross violation of the natural order they were witnessing and had already made their way over to the stricken kunoichi.

They found almost immediately that she could not see them, or perceive them in any way.

In Gaara's head, Shukaku seethed and railed against creature it called simply 'false god'.

 _this is my world, beast, and i shall take your hatred for my own power_

Then Kankuro's not-really-there-elbow jammed into his not-present-ribs and grabbed his attention.

"How," his older brother whispered harshly, "does she know about Chiyo's reanimation technique?"

Gaara frowned a little at that, but after examining the situation again, noticing Shikako's civilian attire, lack of obvious weaponry, and then the foreign surroundings, he recalled "Didn't Baki's spy say that Shikako was folded into Konoha's intelligence community?" Initially the Jinchuriki wasn't sure how he felt about spying on his friends, but then Temari had pointed that ninja didn't often have the privilege of open communication, so he should really think of it as keeping an eye on the people he cared about – they would be spying back anyway.

It made him warm, even in this cold and terrible place, to think that they spied back for the same reason.

"Konoha shouldn't know about it!" Kankuro hissed and whispered at the same time, which was both fairly impressive and faintly irritating.

Naruto had not seen his friends for months, so even with – well whatever this was – he was still happy to see them again. Grateful to see the bastard, slightly transparent but obviously worried, and sensei, with his Sharingan open and looking really really _still_. He was especially grateful for Shikako, who was so kind and smart and strong that sometimes Naruto thought he must have dreamed her up. But he hadn't, and even though she couldn't see him, she was here; hurt by something she was still trying to figure out (it sounded really complicated), but still looking out for little kids.

 _the little god cannot save them_

The voice taunts him, and Kurama's rage blistered through Naruto's fear.

 _she cannot even save herself_

 _you will all serve my ends_

Sai (operative 08357 the voice of his reprogrammer corrected, but Sai didn't listen _all the way_ to the bottom) watched as Shikako-taicho evaluated her situation, which looked to be poor, and planned to minimise the collateral damage. Sai (08357) noted that this was within the parameters of her standard behaviour as it pertained to civilian casualties, her approach to property damage and enemy casualties was quite contrary, however. He was grateful for her pragmatism, he recalled that in their previous shared missions she had been resistant to retreat against superior forces.

Once again, his relief was short-lived, and through his taicho's senses he heard the unfamiliar city's bells start to ring.

Felt the sickness of the reverberating sound pass through her into him, and only his training kept him upright as the world he _thought he knew_ was stripped away, and _something else_ was revealed. For a moment, he wished he was back in his cell. Away from this _thing_. But then he saw Shikako, still like a startled deer for a second, but then she was on her feet and running and **he would not leave her** _._ Everything was suddenly simple, the way it always seemed around her. Right and wrong had _meaning_ and now the only thing, _the_ **right** _thing,_ was to stay. Try to help.

He _had_ to help.

 _wait, fleshling, until your hope, your will, becomes despair_

Root operatives are not instructed on the chakra focusing method known as the 'Will of Fire' but that hardly mattered, things are rediscovered and reinvented every day: and today was the day Sai discovered the Will of Fire.

 _you will be mine_

 **Never** , Sai _knew_ , as he looked around and saw his comrades – saw _Naruto_. We will never belong to you.

I will never belong to you.

 _your world_ _ **will**_ _be mine_

Anko has seen some messed up shit in her time, but this-this _waiting_ _ **thing**_ _,_ she can't. She just _cannot_. But more than that, she can't leave this kid undefended. A summoning technique fizzled and died under her palm, and only then she sees that her attempt to break the skin and draw blood had failed.

And – oh fuck, _Aoba's here_? Anko thought, catching the tail-end of Shikako's racing thoughts while she looked at the changing scenery as they were dragged along the environment to follow the Nara girl. Frantically, the Snake-Summoner tried to think of some way to help (having decided against her better judgement, and fervent hope, that this is real after all - even she couldn't think up something this fucked up) and came up depressingly short on ideas.

As a collective, the unwilling attendees flinch as Shikako came against the barrier, and find to their horror that their translucent left arms become a _little more transparent_ in sympathy with the abuse suffered by hers.

Kakashi cursed again, this time as his new Sharingan technique failed to do _anything –_ and that was pretty much his last-ditch effort. He had tried _everything_ , but now he had to find something else, because he **can't** watch _this. Can't live this._ He'd outlived his father, and his teacher, and his teammates – but this is where the line is drawn. He will not outlive his student. **Will not.** He'll think of something, or Shikako will, because he **won't** live in a world where his students break the Number One Rule first.

Chouji looked up from where he was supporting the prone Ino, and saw a monk. Shikako identified him as a Jashinist.

Chouji doesn't know what a Jashinist is, and he doesn't care. Shikako has identified this man (and Jashinists) as the cause of all this pain ( _what is wrong with Ino? Why can't he fix it?)_ and so he now hates them. That is the end of the discussion.

How dare they? She asks. How dare they do this? How dare they lie in wait? How dare they bring this shadow of evil into the world? Chouji swells with the rising tide of her rage and rams into—no _through_ the _Jashinist._

 _fall to despair, mortal, you cannot defeat me_

But then Shikako drew the legendary Sword of the Thunder God (apparently she called it a lightsabre, he noticed distantly, which had a good ring to it), and used it to destroy her enemies only-

The bell rang a third time and the lightning froze, hanging in mid-air like a sculpture, still lightning, a beautiful impossible thing. The world warped without moving, the angles suddenly _wrong,_ a nightmare place, a dream turned bad. The sun jerked in the sky, leaping back and forth and hovering in multiple places at once.

Ino screams, and the things she sees are the worst of all, and _only once_ has she hated her bloodline so much. The others see the memories _the thing_ wants them to see, but not Ino. She sees black lines flashing white, and Aoba, and so. much. blood. and Shikako is- is. Not _whole_. Not fighting. She cries and cries in a temple of viscera and death – and her victory is a cold thing next to the metallic taste in her mouth.

The malevolence curled sinuously around her, lapping up her revulsion and desolation like cream.

 _little heathen_

Its voice stabbed into her condescendingly.

 _you shouldn't see the punchline before the joke is finished_

It scolded, and grinned a grin full of _teeth and-_

"Under the power of Jashin, time and space come undone!" The Jashinist shouted, exultant. His face seemed to glow with triumph. He opened his mouth, wide and wider than any human mouth could go, a gaping maw to swallow the world and something _horrible_ came out.

The Thing That Was Out There reached through him. It spilt into the air. It was an oil slick, if you removed all the ways that oil was natural. It was poison, if you removed the ways poison was unwitting. It was pain without cause. It was suffering without respite. It was death without life.

It was. It knew. It did.

For a moment, everyone froze, transfixed by Shikako's horror – and their own.

 _see how the little god looked upon me and knew she could not win_

There were no words for what they saw, but through Shikako, they gained the terrible comprehension of what it was.

Yakumo screamed, but the monster inside her head was as powerless as she was – and even it refused expose itself to-

 ** _Jashin._**

And the word was so full of knowledge that it seeped into the minds of the observers and _refused to be moved_.

Yoshino ineffectually flung herself between her child and this- demonic- evil- **abomination** and prayed and prayed that some miracle would occur. That she would not having to witness her daughters murder by this-

Sasuke was stripped down to his Konoha blues, two minutes earlier and he would have had his chakra sabre and ANBU gear to use against this thing. He knew in his heart of hearts that it wouldn't have made a difference anyway, but he still tried to push a fist that refused to fill with lightning through _its_ head.

He'd apparently had the same idea as Naruto, Kiba and Akamaru, which was a sure-fire indication of it being a bad one – but what else could he do? Nothing? **_Never._**

They flew through it, and each other, like they weren't even there.

Behind them he heard scream and turned to see that she was running again. Trying to escape from a world shuddering apart, and Sasuke felt like _he_ was the one shaking apart. Still, he refused to let go – of his hope. Of his family. Not again. Never again. Even this couldn't stop her. Not Shikako, who had taken the Tsukuyomi in his place, who had nearly died rescuing him from the sound four, who _had died_ **twice** in a single mission. She was unstoppable, he just had to believe in her.

 _i will possess_ _ **all,**_ _destroy_ _ **all**_

Shino watched the projectiles Shikako threw, how one went off, one didn't. How the lightning from her legendary weapon surged forward a foot and stopped. Unequal, uneven. Unreal.

He could do nothing as she fled backwards, dragging them along with her struggling to find footing in a world that changed as she traversed it. Why? Because he was separate from the hive. Alone in a way that simply _wasn't possible_ , his skin vacant and still and he did not know how to _be_ without their comforting hum.

Stone crumbled underfoot, reality unmade in fits and starts. Upwards, downwards, a foot, a mile, flat or right angles – it changed, it changed and it was _wrong._

Haku failed for the fifth time to manifest his bloodline, the phantom sensations of Shikako's heartbeat pounded in his ears, and her chest and his were tight and unmoving as they each failed to breathe – failed to combat _whatever that thing_ was.

Shikaku's not-breathing-breathe stuttered as he realised the inevitability of his failure. He couldn't think of any way to get his daughter out of this. Couldn't implement a plan even if he made one. Couldn't find a way to save her.

 _Get out of the circle. Get away from this. Run._

 _"But how?'_ his quivering mind demanded, and he had no answers.

Tsunade's eyes gleamed as Shikako clutched the stone the healers very own hands had removed from the girls' heart, wondered at her thoughts. Numbness and fire – ' _what does that mean?'_ Tsunade demanded soundlessly of a girl who could not hear her anyway.

Then Shikako pushed chakra into the stone and _changed_.

Kiba heaved as reality warped again, and Akamaru shuddered at his feet. He watched as the world _reset,_ restored itself, and knew that it _wasn't enough._

Shikamaru listened as a song, _a terrible thing_ (though he was rapidly revising his list of terrible things) he recognised dimly from a god that had tried to take away his sister, fluttered to life around him. Gelel. Shikako's thoughts told him it was a collection of natural energy that _was_ this world. That belonged here, grown of this place and by it. He hated it still, but he _hoped._

Zabuza _saw her_ , and it was just like that first time – when he was a missing nin, and she was an even tinier, but just as stubborn, brat. She was a _real thing_ again, but a real thing trapped in an unreal world.

She was so small... too small to survive.

He didn't understand what was happening, but he knew that the odds weren't in the girls favour.

Something deep inside, which he refused to identify as hope, told him not to bet against her though.

 _your little god cannot protect you anymore_

Jiraiya listened to echoes of her thoughts, and they were so much larger than he wanted to contemplate.

'A sliver of stone made with a fragment of a god, and the last beat of a human heart.'

She _can't_ mean-

Kankuro didn't know Sparky kept a chunk of Gelel with her, and remembering its all-consuming power – he shook to think that it _still wasn't_ _enough_ to make this right.

Hinata sobbed with relief as Shikako dove across the circle of the Jashinist seal, and then she cried in earnest when it _saw her._

It LoOke _d_ Up **o** n _hE_ _ **r**_ _._

Naruto yelled encouragement he knew she couldn't hear as she stumbled away. Flesh and bone, and so empty that it reminded him of those days _before her_. When he was alone, and no one would look at him. The world was unravelling under her feet, but that didn't matter – the forest was so close.

 _all your days now shall be without her, few that they are_

Tsunade felt a brief swell of pity at her association of the forest with safety. Wood and leaves wouldn't protect her from the wrath of the mad god hunting her.

She was _so close_ when three figures emerged from the treeline, one holding her teammate over his shoulder.

Kakashi experienced a mixture of pride and despair as she threw herself towards her captive partner – but mostly he just wished she had continued her flight. He would rather she be 'worse than trash' than _gone_.

Everything went dark, but the reprieve lasted only a moment - and then things were worse.

* * *

NOTES

 **Original Notes Before the story:**

I initially meant to start from when Shikako collapsed in the hot spring, but that would have been so much work, and I'm much too lazy to deal with something like that ;P Also, I just noticed that the Jashin summoning happened in the late evening – so I've fixed the first ficlet, and I hope you'll forgive the oversight.

As I'm sure you can guess – there will probably be a lot of content which is the soul property of Silver Queen, only the alterations to the original work and the reactions of the people I've added are mine.

As a side note, this will only be a cursory look at each of the each of the character's reactions – so if anyone wants to do a ficlet of their own of this and focus on just one of them, that's something I'd really like to read :)


	3. Part 3

Dreaming of Jashin Part 3

* * *

Here is the last installment, though you can find some continuations on the forum after the fic itself. You can find the page numbers in the notes at the bottom. As before DOS/SQ=good+read some of the content is hers word for word.

* * *

"What is to give light must endure burning." Anton Wildgans

* * *

The word drifted in and out of focus as they were dragged forwards through perceived time by the will of a malevolent god.

The fractured reality on display before them made even Kakashi, a self-proclaimed connoisseur of terrible things, shudder.

 _beautiful, is it not_

When Shikako came fully round though, Sakura had to admit that she preferred seeing time and space warped beyond measure and the spectre of a mad god to- to- Sakura was a medic in training, but she had never seen _so much blood_ in all her life. Never seen so much… of the insides of people… so _many people…_

Shukaku howled within, though Gaara lacked both an inside and an outside at present. The beast was caught between ecstasy at so much carnage, and hatred of the creature that had caused it. In the end, the tanuki had settled for loudly critiquing the priest's methodology. For his part, Gaara waited. Patient and still as the desert before a sandstorm. He was Kazekage, and that meant he had the power to protect the people precious to him. He had mastered himself, he had mastered his demons. When the time came to rid the world of this evil, he would be ready to act.

 _do try, the more you struggle, the sweeter your tears will be_

Helpless to his nature, Shikaku examined the new terrible landscape of slaughter the malevolent voice had taken them to. The blood, the victims, the alter and symbols – the priest, a creature horrifying to his daughter's perception. He tried again to find some way to save her, but even the shadows in this warped place defied mortal power.

 _you can but watch, heathen, you are in my world_

"It that it?"

'It' the shirtless blood-stained priest had called her, Naruto fumed, like Shikako was some kind of – _thing!_ Like she wasn't the first person who had ever acknowledged him, like she wasn't his friend, his precious teammate.

 _a true devout, gave and gave until all that was left was_ _ **i**_

'It'

People had called Naruto 'it' before, and it felt like all his insides being pulled out. Hearing them call Shikako 'it' made his entire being burn with rage, and he screamed at the fox to stop this. Kill the priest, kill the _voice:_ make this all end and save Shikako. When it told him that _no one_ had power in this memory, that Shikako could not be saved – Naruto only screamed more: because that was the same bullshit excuse the fox used in _Wind_.

 _such devotion to the little god, such_ _ **pain**_

Shino watched his friend, trapped in the most disadvantageous situation. Watched, as she did not pause, despite all her pain and weakness – watched her use a tool given to her by a friend to slip her bonds and he… Shino had never given Shikako a gift.

Why? He wondered as the last pins were pushed into palace. She was his friend. Why had he never given her something to protect her? She had treated him with kindness in all the time he had known her – never treated him with the distain others had. Shikako had even taken his little sister under her wing, and brought her joy and the friendship of other children her own age (a task he was wholly unequipped to undertake – not that it had ever occurred to him to try). He had never given her anything.

Why?

 _you cannot help her, i_ _ **feast**_ _upon your desolation_

Tsunade felt the misplaced hope that Aoba might be able to help _wilt_ as the merry band of psychopathic murderers hauled him in, and the Hokage caught a stray thought from Shikako, trying not to calculate the number of people it took produce so much blood. Tsunade has seen more blood than any human being ever should, and she knows exactly how much blood is inside a person – her mind makes the calculation before she can stop it, and she- swallowed down her revulsion, and the tremors fighting their way back into her (not-a-)body were pushed back forcefully. Now was _not a good time_ for a relapse in her haemophobia.

 _so much fear, so much weakness, your brokenness makes me whole, fleshbag_

'Fear is the mind killer.'

That is what his sister thought at a time like this. Weakened by forces beyond human imagining, surrounded by enemies, with no rescue possible and her only ally strung up before her.

Not 'I'm going to die' not 'oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god' (which is what sticks to the surface of his thoughts like – his mind turns away from the similes that present themselves to him, they are all about… the _things_ he is seeing here, and he _-_ ). She thinks about 'staying calm' but all he can feel is their terror combined, a painful burning weight in his stomach.

And then everything is worse. Worse than he can even begin to say, and he suddenly wishes for the blood and viscera similes of before because- because. Because his sister has just 'Spilt'. Shikamaru is retching and screaming from the echo of it, _feels like he's coming apart_ and he can see dad on his knees – and the look in his eyes is what Shikamaru feels in his quaking soul.

 _she rips herself apart unable to withstand my glory_

Ino simply whimpers again, this is just a shadow of the _real_ state of her friend – and her condition is _so much worse_ than anyone else can see. _Yet_. They approach the 'punchline' with every not-second that didn't-pass, and then everyone will see Shikako waiting for the death she created for herself to protect the world from this cruel god.

 _she cannot protect your world, heathen, she does not even_ _ **try**_ _to protect herself any longer_

 _her death is only the beginning_

Yoshino hovered anxiously around her son and husband as she watched her daughter with wide, desperate eyes. Yoshino tried to feel pride at her only daughters' determination, her resolve to save her teammate. All she felt was sick. Sick because Shikako had just done whatever _that thing_ was that made her son scream, and her husband retch – and though the Chūnin herself did not have the spiritual affinity necessary for the full effect, in her child's thoughts she felt... it was... like- something twisting in on itself, consuming and destroying and wrongwrong _wrong._

Sakura couldn't help the hysterical giggle that ripped its way out of her mouth when Shikako noticed Aoba waking up. Her outrage over his _sunglasses._ But something about the laugh got twisted up, and it came out wrong, like a scream instead. A single continuous haunting note that would defy physical reality.

 _hopeless little fleshling, you are mine now_

Naruto didn't know who the guy who lost his glasses was, but it made him so mad when the asshole just _gave up_ right there – when he should be able to tell that Shikako needed him. Needed to save him. Shikako always needs to save people, it's her thing. She saved him from loneliness, the bastard from his- bastardliness. And Haku and Zabuza from being missing-nin, and- Naruto doesn't know what would happen if Shikako couldn't save this guy because he went and just _gave up_. He's not any less mad when the guy gets his throat slit, but Naruto felt a billion times worse about being angry.

 _so impotent in your rage_

Hinata was a ball of uncontained misery, and she knew _knew_ that she would be the same as Shikako's mission partner. That she, too, would be crushed by the absolute certainty of her own death. She sobbed when Shikako thoughtlessly ran to aid him, revealing herself to the enemy without hesitation. Hinata could never be so brave or strong – and that was precisely why a painful speck of hope seared her chest _still_. Naruto-kun was yelling and raging at the bars of their cage of non-substance, and he held in himself the same _absolute faith_ in Shikako as Hinata did. Hope burned unquenchable in the core of her, until she felt hollowed out by it – she didn't dare let it go.

 _what good is the faith of a worm to a pitiful dying goddess_

Sasuke watched, and it took everything he had not to fracture, to break down into PTSD flashbacks of That Night – or worse, the time Shikako had placed herself between him and That Man's Tsukuyomi. What he is seeing is undoubtedly worse than either of those scenarios, but he kept himself in one piece to watch anyway. Because he can't get rid of the hope that The Voice might slip up, that _this time_ he might _actually be able to save someone he loved._

 _you will fail as you always do, mortal_

Chouji, still determinedly wrapped around Ino despite the fact that neither of them had bodies to hold or be held with, watched Shikako's progress across the room. Watched as her fearsome loyalty shone out of her, even in this dark place. Felt pride as she displayed her improved grappling to end one of the _Jashinists_ – _only_ the madmen **cheered**. Like it was a game, they called for more violence, praising their god. And Shikako denied them, but Chouji felt _through her_ the power of their ritual. He held Ino tighter. Things would work out, he told himself firmly, they would all get through this, then they would _all_ talk to Inochi-oji until he made things right, and then they would all go to Hyakumi (the last place where they were all together and safe and not-precisely-happy-because-Naruto-was-leaving-but-still-doing-okay).

 _what a simple creature you are_

 _will your despair be so pure as your hope, i wonder_

Jiraiya frantically examined their surroundings for the thousandth time, wondering again just how this clusterfuck had escaped his notice. How it had caught Shikako's. He watched her, and she was awe-inspiring and brilliant and determined as any of his previous students. He fears she is as doomed as them too. He watched her fight, all she had was her will, but she still made the world blow apart under her fingers. Totally without chakra, and under the power of an insane god: Shikako didn't let that stop her. Without any real expectation of success, the Toad Sage attempted another seal of his own. Once again, he was unable to stir even a single molecule in this hell they had been trapped within.

 _you stand drenched in my divinity, and think to challenge my power_

Anko saw the attempts at healing fail – that moment the girl should have cut her losses and run. Felt through the kids mangled psyche as any hope of healing Aoba flew right out the fucking window. But she also felt that Shikako would not leave – _could not conceive_ of leaving without her teammate. Anko felt that level of loyalty for one person once, but she doesn't think of that time anymore. Now she kept one hand on the back of Yakumo's shirt and tried again to summon her snakes. She wanted nothing more than to summon Manda to eat this fucking taunting, _inhuman_ voice.

 _you'd threaten a god with another beast of flesh, a creature as pathetic as you are_

Anko isn't the sort to relinquish the last word to anyone, even the disembodied voice of a sadomasochistic pain god.

"I'll just fucking tell him you said that – and then we'll see what you bleed, you fucking abomination."

Together, Kiba and Akamaru watch Shikako refuse to abandon her partner, even when it means certain death. Kiba clamps a hand around his nin dogs muzzle to silence his mourning howl. _Shikako can't die here._ There is no way Shikako 'choked a guy out with her braid' 'almost beat the Kazekage' 'can take out three ANBU with collateral damage' Nara dies here.

That's not a story he can tell.

 _you will not live to tell it_

And Kankuro just watched as Sparky did _nothing_ to stop the staff as it pushed through her skin. What the fuck kind of indoctrination does the leaf put their nin through? He wondered in horror, but he had a terrible suspicion that this was just Sparky in all her self-sacrificial glory – brainwashing not required.

 _ridiculous, is she not_

 _she gives instead of takes, and that is why she is so small_

 _it is her ruin, why i will win in the end_

Haku gasped at the shadow of her pain screaming in his stomach – burning and freezing with anguish when a _new pain_ came.

 _hello little god,_ it whispered to Shikako, and Haku's breath caught because – was that really the difference? The pain from the voice, of the voice, was so… muted. Compared to the thrumming agony of the thing speaking to them directly, it was nothing.

Haku was frozen to the bone, so cold it felt like burning, but he did what any good ninja does: extrapolated from the available data. What they are experiencing is the barest shadow of Shikako's suffering, her thoughts, her pain.

The knowledge breaks him anew, and Haku has never _hated_ before. Not even those who wanted him dead – not even his _father_. But he hated now. He hated _so much_ , and he just wanted it to stop. Please, god _let it stop_.

 _never_

Sai followed, as Shikako was dragged to the alter. He wished he could do something, tell her he was there. Irrationally, he wished that her thoughts were not so eloquent. A lifetime ago, amongst the sunshine and the leaves he had thought that her flowered words and hazy metaphors were some kind of concealment technique, but as usual he was wrong. Her whole head was full of abstract and esoteric thoughts, even now there was poetry in her anguish. She thought of suffering and strength, the Shinigami and the inevitable, impersonal, decent into entropy. She thought of hatred and bloodlust and spite and pain, condensed into one being. How the _idea_ of them was greater than the things themselves, and even though he didn't want to understand, Sai was terrified to suspect that he in fact, did.

'Go to hell' she told her captors, and unsurprisingly they remained where they were.

Zabuza's life has been pretty much fucked from the start, and for a long time things only went further downhill from his graduation onwards, but he can safely say that _this_ this at the top of his list. He was forced to watch as a kid he kind of liked (as much as he could like a leaf-brat) bore witness to the death of her squadmate, was smeared with his blood, forced to witness horrors of the universe best left unexplored, and then had to drink said squadmates blood. Only now did Zabuza realise that he had been living in an acceptable level of 'fucked up', and that there were new and uncharted realms and flavours of unspeakable atrocities above and beyond Yagura's insanity and his own bloodlust. The world really expanded for him, _and not in a good way._

 _you have seen nothing yet_

Sasuke tried desperately to hold on to Shikako, even as the echo of Jashins triumph bellowed through them all, but she _and the world_ became **pain**.

 _all of this is mine and i will destroy it_ the voice echoed across the psychic distance dully.

Shikamaru, reeling and shuddering stumbled over to her as well, and Shikako rose again.

She wasn't some glorious firebird roaring back to life like in the legends, but she remade herself none-the-less. Barely more than the bounce-back of a ripple once it hit the edge of a bowl. _Just a little_ – but then, that's all Shikako had ever needed.

Her thoughts were soft, but they cut thorough the mad gods' exultation.

'But there is-

There is so much in this world that I love. That I don't want destroyed.'

'And said like that', thought Yakumo, 'it seems so simple.'

"No."

And Shikaku thought that wars could be stopped with that voice: that one word.

Sakura closed her mouth around the scream that finally tapered off. The priests were ignoring Shikako, and Sakura suspected that this was a very bad thing. For them.

 _she dies, stupid mongrel, dies and cannot destroy me_

'You don't know-'

There was something like sunrise in the Nara's voice, and Jiraiya got the feeling he was about the learn something he really didn't want to know.

'-that I have been here before. Knelt, bleeding and dying, before the coming of a god.'

She sounded… _bigger_ … than before.

Kakashi opened his mouth to deny this insanity, but then he remembered running home to find his littlest Genin had died twice while he was away. A mission so classified even _he_ can't access it... even when he's not necessarily _asking_.

'Gelel had been life, and I _let it_ _in_ but there had been another option. There had been a way, a plan, a seal.'

If Tsunade was recalling the debriefing of that mission correctly, and she was _bloody certain she was,_ that seal _could_ have swallowed the whole continent. The Hokage opened her mouth and tried to order the Nara girl to _not even_ _ **dare**_ _think about it_. But of course, there was no way to get through to the child.

 _she dies for you and it means_ _ **nothing**_ _, I am a god, she cannot save you from me_

'Chakra doesn't work here, now. But my seals still do. In this place of gods, _willpower_ still counts.'

And Anko screamed with frustration, because _clearly_ that only applied to people who were secretly goddesses. She's fucking trying, there's no fucking need to _rub it in._

'And I know that seal. The instructions are right here with me, sealed into my flesh.'

"Wait what?" Jiraiya yelled, because, _why_ would Shikako have a god-killing seal in her flesh?

'All I have to do is set it.'

'It will kill me, but … I am going to die here, either way. There is no way out. I have nothing. No chance, no choice, no hope.'

"No!" there is quite a congregation around the alter now, and Yoshino stares wildly into her daughters' calm, certain eyes. They stare though her sightlessly, and no attempt at physical restraints bore any fruit.

'Only me.'

"Kako- please don't do this!" Shikamaru cried, his hands pressing through her shoulders uselessly.

"No," She repeated. "This place is not yours."

 _it will be, your death will only delay the inevitable_

Her eyes started to fill with tears, and Naruto cannot deal with this. Can't deal with tears **and** the crazy back hole seal _and_ Shikako is goingtodie and _please_ **no** ** _Kyuubi_** **!**

"Oh, it is," said the cult leader as he picked up his knife and Sasuke tried once again, to no effect, to remove someone's head. "This is just the last step."

Kankuro watched her in amazement, as her first tear fell and hit the ground like a tombstone slamming into place. Black ink blossomed from where it hit, spreading out and out and out like water across sand. Like life across the Dead Wastes.

 _impudent infant goddess, whose only power comes from her pathetic_ _ **tears**_

The first time he had ever seen her cry, she had just released a god into the world. This second (last) time, her tears will kill a god and save the world. His non-existent fingertips itch with the need to write. It's not an urge he has ever felt before, he loves the classics too much, but… it unfolds in his heart anyway, and Kankuro _needs to write it_ , **needs to perform it** _._

"Your problem," she whispered. "Is that you think the greatest power lies in blood."

 ** _it does_**

The voice isn't even talking to _them_ anymore, the malevolent deity is incandescent with rage as it screams at Shikako.

Shikako Shadow-Killer, Kiba thinks, and is _sick._

'Blood carries chakra,' Shikako unknowingly informed the assorted nin, 'is necessary for life. It _is_ powerful, and stable which was why we use it for seals. But tears – they carry everything life is _about.'_

And Sai did not know the last time he cried, does not know if he has ever cried, but he thought he might be crying now. _'…surely this can't be what life is about…'_

'I'm banking on that being _more_ , being enough to highjack this ritual, to overwrite it, to fuel my seal instead.'

The other tears that fell were useless, desperate things, calling for home and family but she can't stop them. They just fell.

All around a commotion rose as the assembled twenty-two nin and one nin dog tried to find some miracle to pull out of their collective arses.

Shikako's seal pulsed with energy. The centre of the room started to collapse inwards, a single black point that would swallow both Shikako and the god whole.

 _you will die and die and die, little god, nothing can save you now_

"No!" The priests' leader screamed even as Jashin howled at Shikako with impotent rage. He thrust his staff down into the ink on the floor, the priests combined will met with Shikako's in a furious titanic clash.

Unknown to her, her brother and father collapsed beside her on the alter as she fell backwards into darkness, becoming somewhat blank about the eyes.

And the seal-

-broke.

Jiraiya could not hide the fear on his face at the sight of it, because it did every broken failure of a seal always did: **explode**. There was more power tied up in that god-summoning ritual than a small ninja village used in an entire year.

And suddenly, they were pulled into the moment properly – though until that moment, they would not have thought they were not in the moment. Except Ino, whose bloodlimit had allowed her to experience _both_ the mad god use her best friends' memories to torture them, _and_ this _still_ -shuttered- **infinite** - _lurching_ moment from which the god had reached for them.

 _now see your little gods last moment in this world before she is destroyed, and_ _ **suffer**_

* * *

"We're here now Shikako." Ino sobs, no longer torn in two, and upright under her own power for the first time since this nightmare began, she tries (and fails) to cradle the other girls limp body. "You don't have to be alone."

And everyone is crying – even Zabuza, a bit, which was frankly _incredibly disturbing_.

Well, everyone except Tenten.

Tenten has had quite enough of this _dramatism_ for one day and, coming from someone on a team with Gai and Lee, that's really saying something.

Tenten pushes her way to the still figure on the stone alter, and she is full of _purpose_ which apparently has the side effect of making her solid enough to elbow people aside rather than slide through them. Which is very useful, as Tenten isn't sure how she'll go about bending the space-time continuum to her will with Sakura elbow sticking out of her chest _in addition_ to lacking chakra and, well, **an actual seal.**

'I'd have probably managed it anyway,' Tenten decides firmly, grabbing Shikako by the hand 'no one gets to save the world with a tear, and then die alone in an evil temple. That's not how it works.'

Tenten hasn't 100% figured out how it works herself, but that much she knows without being told.

Now all she has to do is figure out the rest of it before inconvenient things like 'time' and 'reality' get it into their heads to start working again.

Thinking quickly back through the ordeal, Tenten recalls how the cultists had gathered together their mental power and almost overwhelmed the will of the baby-goddess dying on the alter next to her.

'Right,' Tenten agreed silently, 'no chakra in god-land, so it's just willpower – dammit, the _one time_ those two nutcases would _actually be useful_!'

Tenten looks down at the benevolent deity girl who is both her friend, and her boyfriend's sister, and decides that everyone _is going to help with this_. So they can cut the histrionics **right now.**

"Alright, listen up!" She gives then about half-a-second to shut it before continuing, Tenten doesn't know how much longer time is going to forget itself for – so they don't have the time to waste. "I can get Shikako home, but we don't have chakra here, which means we have to improvise with pure willpower. I'm talking serious Will of Fire stuff here okay?" she frowns, looking at the foreign nin who look back at her like she'd grown two or three extra heads which were all now spouting nonsense. "Or whatever the highest mental and chakra focusing tool you have as equivalent in your village…" she adds, slightly derailed, but angrier for it – which is something at least.

 **"Now people!"** She shouts, and most of the people suddenly look very busy despite not outwardly doing anything.

"You can really bring her back?" Demands Shikamaru wild eyed.

"Yes, but I can only do it if everyone focuses on it with everything they have. Everything they _are_. I can save Shikako, bring her home, _but you all have to help me._ " And Tenten says it **firm** , with fire in her heart and enough will that it _became true_ – even if it hadn't been a moment ago.

'You're in god-land remember?' she doesn't ask them, because she knows it won't be enough for most of them to _really believe_ they can do the impossible. If, on the other hand, they think she (as a noted seals mistress with a history of corroboration with Shikako under her belt) knows something they don't about the fundamental nature of reality – well they'll probably run with it and not stop until they reach the end. 'Things work differently here.'

Tenten doesn't let herself doubt her plan, even though all it amounts to is everyone wishing really hard that Shikako would come back home – more or less what they were doing a few moments ago really.

 _i am her unmaking,_ _ **you cannot save her**_

"Can and will. Piss off." Tenten commands, not shifting her focus one iota.

"It's working," she shouts to the crowd "concentrate harder!"

As a matter of fact, it hadn't been working a second ago – their separate wills passing like ships in the night. It was working now though, which was naturally the reason for giving the ah- _encouragement_.

And there it was – forming obediently proving once-and-for-all that Tenten can _in fact_ out-stubborn the universe at large (it's not terribly impressive, considering who Tenten has on her team, but knowing that she's at least as hard-headed as Lee gives her a warm feeling she pushes into the seal).

She calls it 'The Seal of Iron Will', because calling it 'The Friendship Seal' is much too fluffy for a seal that has to be butch enough to strong-arm the fundamental nature of reality.

Tenten felt the formation of her own mark under her palm, she knew without looking that the symbol there said 'Anchor' in her own handwriting.

The second is 'Twin' in a lazy, midnight black scrawl. The next one was a simple ink-black kanji for 'home', which means that someone was a) very boring and b) quite literally minded. Tenten would bet anything it's Sasuke's. The third she doesn't even need to guess about – it winds around the still arm in _screaming_ neon orange, and says simply SHIKAKO SHIKAKO SHIKAKO SHIKAKO SHIKAKO. More amusingly, winding just above it in blood tones read the following: 'By the Sage, give the brat what he wants so he SHUTS UP ALREADY!'.

Unfortunately, this takes up all the space exposed by the pushed-up sleeve so Tenten doesn't have the opportunity to examine any more of the marks.

 _impossible, it will never work_

No one even _pretends_ to listen to that freakshow.

"We're almost there!" She calls out, and it's even true _before_ she says it, and the fact fills her with _more warmth she_ pushes into the Anchor of The Seal of Iron Will. "This is it, one last push and Shikako is home safe."

This is clearly the right thing to say, and a surge of white-hot power surges through her and Shikako and the Iron Will Seal.

Only one last thing to do, Tenten reminds herself.

Now, how did Shikako phrase this?

Ah Yes.

 _My Will Be Done!_

 _And the alter is_ suddenly empty of all but bloodstains.

 _impossible, noo_ _ **ooooo**_

But the mad god no longer has Shikako, and therefore, no way to hold _them_.

They snap back to their bodies as one, like a stretched elastic band released.

* * *

Tenten jerks awake, and her hand clenches around Shikako's.

The Chūnin let out a deep sigh of relief at that impossibility, and for the first time privately marvelled at her own nerve.

"Tente- BY THE YOUTH OF SPRINGTIME!" Lee bellows "IS SHIKAKO-CHAN OKAY?"

"Ah," she _knew_ she'd forgotten something, "Sensei, Shikako's really hurt. You need to get her to Tsunade-sama right now!"

Shikabane-hime was dying, but all things considered it was a fairly minor problem. Tsunade would probably have her up and about as quick The Grass Incident. It was barely even a problem really, with the Corpse and Slug Princesses in the same village at the same time.

"I WILL TAKE HER TO TSUNADE-HIME AT ONCE, AND IF I DO NOT MAKE IT IN TIME I WILL-"

But Tenten has had a bad day already, and bellows back – cutting off what would have certainly been an exceptional exhibition of self-flagellation – with a short " **NOW SENSEI!** "

Having finally determined that Shikako is stable enough to be moved, sensei picks her up carefully, and is off like he's been fired from a cannon.

"But," said Lee at a mostly normal volume "I don't understand. How did Shikako-chan get here?"

"It's a long story. One I'm not getting into right now, but it involved a lot of trauma – so there's probably a lot of group therapy in my future."

Tenten finally decides to get up, and stretches out her tired muscles gently.

"But Tenten," Lee whined "I though you said our team was done with – uh, 'traumatising psychiatrists who've never done anything to hurt anyone, and don't deserve me 'n Neji'?"

"You're not invited." She tells them both flatly, but doesn't elaborate – because this snafu has S Rank stamped all over it.

"Come on, let's go see if Shikako is awake and back to terrorising the creatures of the beyond."

"WHAT?" Back to standard Lee volume again. What a shame.

* * *

NOTES:

 **Original Notes Before the story:**

Hope the final piece is worth the wait. It's been a real challenge to make all the different POV's work, as I have a terrible habit of just making everyone talk with my voice. Not a good trait in a writer, which is why I decided to start this in the first place.

As always, any comments, critiques or additions are welcome.

Also - warning I suppose. Anko swears a lot. Sorry about that, I tried to take it out but it didn't fit. She's having a bad day okay? I'm sure you can forgive her.

The Second third of this is on Page 361 (I can't remember where the first bit is - I'll check later and edit it in) ***Edit*** First Part is on page 360

 **Original Notes After the story:**

So, in case you missed anything: Jashin (sore looser) wanted the little gods people (it thinks of them as followers, but whatever) to suffer – and for that suffering to bring it enough power to make this loss not catastrophic. This backfires exponentially, as not only did they _not_ give him the power of their suffering, Tenten totally just stole Shikako back with the more or less pure concentrated stubbornness of 22 people who care about Shikako enough that their souls are linked together. Good plan Jashin. I almost didn't finish it, because of the chapter update, but then I thought – obviously deus ex Tenten wasn't how Shikako was going to escape anyway, _you knew that before you started writing- stop shirking your obligations._ _ **You started something, so you'd best finish it.**_ And suddenly, I am my mother – I always knew it would happen eventually :(

p.s. I bet you thought I forgot about Tenten didn't you? (or if you didn't, then _you_ must have forgotten her – which is even worse), but no, she was the scheduled 'Act of God' to save Shikako the whole time.

Also, I was inspired a bit by this thing I read on the internet about elephants. How they get tied up in chains when they are babies, so that by the time they become adults a thin bit of rope is enough to hold them because they don't think they can break it. This is what happened to everyone but Tenten. They tried again and again and again to fight, right up until they could win – by which point they had given up trying. Consider it a heavy-handed life lesson from someone who ought not to be throwing stones in her very own glass house.


End file.
